Collapsible mop



March 5, 1940. J GLOVJER 2,192,547

COLLAPSIBLE MOP 4 Filed 001:. 26, 1936 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 coLLAPsmLE MOP John Glover, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Midway Chemical 00., Jersey City, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,566

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to dust mops and the like, particularly to a dust mop having a quick and convenient means for joining a mop to a holder or spreader or head therefor.

plication is an improvement over that shown in my former Patent 1,916,214 of July 4, 1933, and this application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial Number 69,755,

filed March 20, 1936.

' The objects of my present invention are to provide a mop construction including a collapsible frame of relatively long and narrow outline havr ing a central portion to which the mop handle socket is substantially universally mounted and wherein the two opposite end portions of the mop frame incline rearwardly from the central portion so that the tendency of the mop to roll, due to its elongated nature, as it is moved across head or swab, preferably formed with fabric and having the usual thrums depending therefrom, wherein the top portion is constructed as a apocket for the insertion of the mop frame, when the frame is collapsed, and wherein this pocket is provided with a central slot or opening which is relatively wide and of a length substantially coextensive with the width of the mop head, and with outwardly and oppositely extending portions extending angularly rearwardly in relation to the slot or opening and in general conforming in outline to the collapsible frame; to provide such a mop wherein the pocket of the mop head provides access. to a spring actuated releasable latchmechanism for permitting release and folding of the sections of the'mop frame to collapsing position; to provide a mop of the above character having opposed, spaced apart pockets for the reception of the opposed wing elements of a mop frame; to provide an improved type of mop spreader or frame and mop head wherein the spreader or frame is adapted when collapsed to be inserted in opposed pockets of the mop head and in open position adapted to hold the mop head extended in normal operating condition and wherein simple resilient means is provided between sections of the spreader or frame for normally maintaining type of construction of detachable mop frame.

55;- and mo of h neral PWk t typ 9 WWW? The construction disclosed in the present apa plane surface is neutralized; to provide a mop tion shown in my Patent Number 1,916,214, wherein by shaping the mop frame in such a way as to provide elongated narrow wings slanting rearwardly or laterally with respect to a central portion of the frameand by providing the mop head with a frame receiving pocket shaped similarly to the frame and. having a central, relatively wide slot and rearwardly or laterally extending, elongated portions, I am enabled not only to suitably provide for the universal swivel mounting of a handle on the frame but I. am able also to provide a construction which more perfectly prevents the mop frame from slipping out of the pockets of the mop head, even when the pockets have become worn or stretched due to constant use. Further objects of the invention will be apparent from a perusal of the'following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,.whereinz Figure l is a perspective view of my improved mop frame with the sections extended;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same with I Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view' partly in section showing the frame sections in locked position; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 and illustrating the manner in which the frame sectiohs are unlocked for collapsing movement.

Referring now tothe drawing in detail, the

preferred embodiment of my improved invention resides'in providing a frame or spreader comprising two frame sections adapted to be pivoted together. These frame sections, as shown clearly in Figure 2, are composed of preferably metallic strips which are relatively narrow and are bent to form a substantially loop-shaped strip 2 provided at its ends 4 with opposed openings 6 for pivotally mounting the strip, as hereinafter described, and a substantially loop-shaped strip 8 likewise provided at its ends with opposed openings ill forming with. theopenings 5 of the strip 2 a common pivotal mounting, as hereinafter described. These strips are bent at their free ends so that they provide end portions l2 and M respectively, which lie parallel with one another and contactingly interfit. The frame sections are bent rearwardly from said parallel end portions l2 and M, as at I56 and I8 respectively, to provide wing portions which are disposed angularly with respect toa line perpendicular to the pivotal support member 29, which forms the support for the handle socket 22 as hereinafter described. preferably formed of a metal strip similar in dimensions to the side and frame members 2 and 8, but is provided with preferably round end portions or pins 23 and 24 extending through the holes 6 and it) of the members 2 and 8 whereby pivotally to mount said frame members 2 and 8 with respect to the support 25]. The end or pin 23 of support member 2!] is peened over as at 26 whereby to form a permanent pivotal connection and the opposite end portion 24, which is of considerable greater length than the pivotal portion 23, is likewise peened or swaged over as at 28. Between a shoulder 30 formed on the end of the support 28 and the adjoining face of the frame 8 is located resilient means such as a coil spring 32 surrounding the pivot 24 for normally urging the frame portions 12 and i4 outwardly with respect to the shoulder 30.

It will be noted that the spring member permits the support 22 at all times to swivel or pivot with respect to the frame members 2 and 8.

Means is provided between the frame members for normally locking the same in extended position in a single plane and in conjunction with the spring provides readily operable resilient means for unlocking the same to permit the members to be moved into the collapsed position, shown in Figure 2. This locking means and the spring are so arranged that the handle socket I 22 and its mounting 23 are always free to pivot or swing with respect to the frame members 2 and 8. To this end the end portion 1 4 of the frame member 8 is extended, as at 36, beyond the pivotal point E. This extension 36 is provided with a notch 38 and a laterally extending looking lug 46 which is adapted to extend laterally over the parallel portion l2 of the frame memher 2. This frame member 2 at the parallel portion I2 is provided with a notch 42 for receiving the overhanging locking lug 40, thereby acting as a stop to prevent these two frame members from moving, when swung into extended position, beyond a common plane as shown in Figure 1.

The lug and the notch 42, of course, permit the frame to be collapsed by swinging of the frame sections in opposite directions about the pins 23 and 24. members locked in their extended position in a single common plane, the frame member 2 is provided with a hole or perforation 44 adapted to receive a laterally projecting tongue 46 formed on an extension 48 of the strap or frame section 8 so that when an end portion l4 of the resilient frame section 8 is moved inwardly the spring 32 will be compressed and the locking tongue 46 will be pressed outwardly of its hole 44, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the two frame members 2 and 4 may be swung to the collapsed position shown in Figure 2. When the frame members have been swung from collapsed position to the extended position shown in Figure l the tongue will enter the hole 44 whereby to securely lock the two This support member 20 is In order to hold these frame members in such extended position. The spring in thisconnection serves to resiliently press the tongue into its opening 44 as clearly shown in Figure '7.

The handle socket 22 is preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal, the upper portion of which is bent to form a substantially elongated cylinder provided with opposed ears 50 receiving the usual thumb screw 52 which when tightened will clamp the handle in the socket. The lower portion of the socket is compressed as at 54 to provide substantially parallel ears or lugs and a pin or rivet 56 is passed therethrough and through an opening in the bridge piece or support 20 whereby to provide a swivel mounting for the handle. In addition, the bottom of the socket is provided with a shoulder 58 which strikes the top edge of the support 20 to form a stop so as to maintain the swivel socket 22 in one position substantially at right angles to its support 20 while permitting it to move downwardly, as shown in dotted lines at 62, into a collapsed position substantially flat or substantially parallel with the floor. Thus, I have provided a mounting wherein the handle 64 in the socket 22 can be swung to various positions of adjustment when, as for instance, it is desired to use the mop for dusting walls, the handle may be swung to position shown at 62 in Figure 5 whereby the thrums of the mop will be in a substantially common plane with the pivoted handle and wherein in this position the handle may still pivot on the pivots 23 and 24 with respect to the head or frame carrying the mop proper. If it be desired to use the mop on the floor or other horizontal surface, the handle is swung somewhat upwardly to any adjustable position for pushing the mop along the floor and in this position, the handle being pivotally mounted on the support 2!) and the support being pivotally mounted on the head members 2 and 8, a substantially universal mounting is provided with respect to the mop portion proper.

The mop proper comprises a washable fabric article comprising depending thrums 6B sewed to a fabric top 10. This fabric top is of elongated, relatively narrow design and has sewed to its marginal edges two pockets l2 and 14, which at the central portion, as indicated at 16 and I8, are spaced apart a considerable distance so as to permit the insertion of the frame in collapsed position, as shown in Figure 2, into these pockets. It will be noted that each of the pockets inclines laterally with respect to the central portion 68 of this cover which is the portion corresponding to the parts l2 and I4 of the frame. It will be noted that these pocket portions 12 and 14 slant rearwardly in angular relation with respect to the slot or gap 68 between the pockets and that the gap is of sufficient width to permit the pivotal swinging movement of the bridge member 20, as indicated particularly in Figure 6. In addition the width of this gap is of sufficient dimension to permit the fingers of the operator to push the member I4 rearwardly against the compression of the coil spring 32 whereby to unlock frame members 2 and 8 to permit them to be collapsed. By reason of the angularity of these pocket members 12 and 14 with respect to the members l2 and I4, the frame members 2 and 8 are held more securely from transverse sliding movement and this inclination of the pocket members, as shown at 80, with respect to the portions 84 and 86 prevents transverse movement of the frame members 2 and 4 with respect to the pockets as a whole, thereby prevents inadvertent displacement of the frame members relatively to the mop proper during use, as for instance, when theextreme ends of the pocket members become worn and the frame resultingly tends to project through such open- It will thus be seen that by forming the frame or head with rearwardly and oppositely extending wing portions which extend outwardly from the central parallel portions thereof and by likewise providing the mop with rearwardly eXtending pockets spreading outwardly in opposite directions from the central slot, which slot not only provides means for inserting thecollapsible frame into the mop pockets but also provides a relatively wide gap or aperture which permits free swiveling movement of the handle socket with respect to the frame and with respect to the fabric of the mop pockets, I find also that such construction will provide an effective arrangement for preventing the frame slipping out of the pockets when the pockets have stretched due to frequent washings and when the sides of the slot at the pockets have likewise stretched and also prevents the inadvertent slipping of the frame out of these pockets which is liable to arise in a straight sided construction such as is shown in Figure '7 of my Patent 1,916,214 when the frame member has worn through the ends of the pockets due to frequent washings and constant use. By

reason of the angularly disposed relationship of the wings of the frames 2 and 8 with respect to the parallel portions l2 and i4 and with respect to the slot and to the similarly formed angularly disposed pockets, the frame member is more securely held from transverse sliding movement relative to the slot, and therefore, will to a marked degree insure against any likelihood 'of the frame slipping out of the pockets due to wear and tear as hereinbefore described.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mop frame comprising two metal straps bent in substantial loop-shaped formation with their ends disposed in overlapping relation, a support member having end portions forming.

ivots inserted in registered openings in the ends of the loop sections whereby p'ivotally to interconnect the loop sections, an edge of one of said ends having a notch, the adjacent end of said other section having an overlapping tongue adapted to overhangingly lie in said notch when the sections are shifted to extended position, the

loop sections.

other end of the first mentioned loop section having an opening therein and the adjacent end of the second loop section having an extending lug adapted to project into saidlast" mentioned opening, said support member having one of said pivotal portions elongated and said loop sections whereby pivotally to interconnect the loop sections, an edge of one of said loop sections having a notch, the adjacent end of saidother section having an overlapping tongue adapted to lie in said notch when the sections are I shifted to extended position, an opposite end of one of said loop sections having an opening therein and the adjacent end of the other loop section having an extending lug adapted to project into said last mentioned opening, said support memher having one of said pivots elongated and forming a shoulder, a coil spring surrounding said elongated pivot portion and pressing against the shoulder and against one of said ends of one of said loop sections whereby to press said lug outwardly into the opening in the other loop sec tions and to maintain said tongue in said notch,

and a handle member pivotally mounted on said support member and having a stop adapted to contact with the top of the support member to limit the movement of the handle member in one direction. v

3. A mop frame comprising two sections having apertured end portions, a support member having opposite end portions forming pivots inserted in the aperturesin the end portions of said sections whereby pivotally to interconnect the loop sections, an end portion of one of said loop sections having an additional opening therein, the adjacent end of the other loop section having qan extending lug adapted to, project into said last mentioned opening, and means carried by said support member and bearing against the end whereby to prevent inadvertent collapsing of said JOHN GLOVER. 

